One of the great underground acts of their era, Quintessence came together in the Ladbroke Grove area of London in 1969. The band comprised Australians Phil ‘Shiva’ Jones (vocals, keyboards), Ron ‘Raja Ram’ Rothfield (flute) along with Allan Mostert (lead guitar), Richard ‘Shambhu Babaji’ Vaughan (bass), Dave ‘Maha Dev’ Codling (rhythm guitar) and Jeremy ‘Jake’ Milton (drums). Within months of their formation the Eastern influenced rock music of Quintessence had earned the band a dedicated following and they were signed by Chris Blackwell to Island Records.

Over the next three years the band would record three classic albums for the label – “In Blissful Company”, “Quintessence” & “Dive Deep” – along with the classic single version of one of their best known tracks, “Notting Hill Gate”. The material Quintessence recorded during this period, mostly produced by John Barham, who would also work with George Harrison on his “All Things Must Pass” album, earned them admiration from such luminaries as Pete Townshend of The Who (who attended Quintessence concerts) and Jim Morrison of The Doors.

Quintessence also had the distinction of appearing at the very first Glastonbury Festival in 1970 and the legendary Glastonbury Fayre of 1971, along with selling out the Royal Albert Hall.

This 2 disc newly re-mastered set celebrates Quintessence and gathers together all of the band’s material issued by Island Records between 1969 & 1971. It also includes a live version of “Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Guaranga” which originally appeared on the Island double LP sampler “Bumpers” in 1970.

“Move into the Light” features an illustrated booklet with an essay by Malcolm Dome and exclusive new interviews with Phil Jones & Dave Codling.

Comments

If they sold out the Royal Albert Hall, it was because they were supporting Creedence Clearwater Revival in April 1970, on a bizarre bill which also included one man blues band Wilbert Harrison III (writer of Let’s Stick Together). I was there and remember the earnest Ladbroke Grove Aussies being roundly booed by the 99% of the audience who’d come to hear Proud Mary and Bad Moon Rising, not the Hare Krishna Mantra…